Lost in Karakura
by YourRedRightAnkle
Summary: She couldn't accept that this was how it would end, all shades of grey, null and void in the depths of Hueco Mundo, all moonlight and ash. When Ulquiorra returns a mismatched version of his former self, Orihime has a lot of explaining to do. Ulquihime.
1. Indefinite Visitors

**Disclaimer: **Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.

**A/N – **First things first, thank you for clicking on my story, I really appreciate it and reviews are very welcome!

**Pairings:** This story will be predominantly Ulquihime, however, it is likely to have some side relationships popping up throughout. These side relationships may be developed in chapters of their own (ones which, I suppose, if you are not interested in that pairing, can be skipped) but they will also be featured in lesser detail within the main story as well.

**Rating:** T (may rise)

**Genre: **Romance/Drama/Humour

Liberties will be taken with the story, but I will attempt to keep everyone in character. If anyone seems off, just let me know and I'll make the necessary changes. Same goes for spelling, grammar mistakes - though, I am Australian, so there will be some variations with words.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Prologue**

She stood with her hand to her chest.

The battle was over, the dust long since settled, but there was no relief.

They had won, hadn't they?

Ichigo had won.

_Kurosaki-kun. _

Her grey eyes travelled to the edge of the dome, a distant longing to run after him, to be by his side, to protect, gripping at her heart. But she did not move. Her brows furrowed in confusion, what was this feeling? It was as if she were suspended in time, unable to move forward, unable to find her strength, unable to be the person she so wanted to be.

**Unable.**

Her gaze drifted back to the now empty space before her, eyes focused but unseeing. In the back of her mind she could hear Ishida's movements, feel him touch her arm, urge her along "Inoue-san, we need to get out of here", but she **couldn't **move. She couldn't accept that this was how it would end, all shades of grey, null and void in the depths of Hueco Mundo, all moonlight and ash.

She drew in a shaky breath. Her fingertips itched as they dug into the palm of her hand. She briefly wondered if she would find traces of him there, if her skin would be dusted a sooty black, but despite her curiosity, she could not bring herself to look down, afraid of what she would see (or not see).

"-get to Kurosaki."

Orihime jolted slightly at the sound of his name -strangely jarring amidst her confusion- and finally she allowed Ishida to lead her away, his newly restored hand tugging briefly at her elbow before falling back to his side. She trailed after him absently, her boots scraping softly against the concrete under her feet.

It felt so wrong- to be leaving. Leaving without...

Without what?

Without trying to reverse what occurred today?

She couldn't do that. Her friends had fought so hard to rescue her, to ensure her safety. Ichigo...had sacrificed everything. To revive an enemy...

Orihime sighed softly, she doubted she was even capable. Ulquiorra had been reduced to ash. It was not the same as restoring an arm, or healing a hole in the chest. There was nothing left. He had been scattered with the wind, with the rubble, with the sand. She shook her head, suddenly reminded of an old nursery rhyme, about an egg and a wall. She had cried when she first heard it, the demise of the unassuming egg, absolutely heartbreaking to her younger self. She couldn't help but feel that same hopelessness.

Orihime raised a hand to wipe the wetness from her eyes- crying now, not for an egg, but for a man in much the same predicament.

If all the Kings horses and all the Kings men could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again, what chance did she- one teenage girl- have of restoring Ulquiorra?

Close to none, she knew...but even so...

They had tried.

Even though they didn't succeed...All the Kings horses and all the Kings men...

_They had tried._

Her stomach grew nauseous, and her thoughts began to spin.

_If I just concentrate..If I..._

A deep frown pulled at her lips and within moments, she was walking again, tears spilling down her cheeks. A part of her screamed to turn around, to return to that certain spot, to try, but something pushed her forward. She owed it to her friends. She needed to keep going.

Quickening her pace, Orihime followed after the Quincy, suddenly determined to get away from this place as fast as possible.

But Orihime had always been clumsy...

She found herself tripping forward when her boot absently struck something hard, sending the offending object skidding smoothly across the ground. Thankfully, she managed to catch herself before she collapsed to her knees. She righted herself quickly, turning to glare at the strange, narrow fragment now lying not a metre from where she stood. Her eyes widened.

_It couldn't be._

She glanced cautiously up at Ishida, confirming that he was lost in his own thoughts, before walking as calmly as she could, towards the narrow bone. She grasped it quickly, her eyes scanning the fragment with utmost awe.

_This has to be it._

Her breath hitched and she felt a small spark of hope swell in her chest. Without a second thought, Orihime drew up the top layer of her gown and slipped the mask piece into the waistband of her hakama, tapping it briefly to assure herself it was safely secured, before sliding the dress back in to place.

"Inoue-san?"

Her head jerked up to meet Ishida's concerned gaze. Had he seen her?

She forced a smile to her lips. "Sorry, Ishida-kun!" She blurted meekly, deciding to play oblivious as she shuffled forward to walk beside the Quincy. He looked at her curiously, but did not question her on it.

Instead, they walked in silence, the edge of the dome inevitably nearing. Orihime attempted to keep her footsteps even, but she knew that when the time came to descend, she would hesitate. Her mind was too filled with thoughts- possibilities, worries, regrets- but there was hope there too.

Her hand slipped to the object concealed at her hip.

If there was one thing she was certain of, it was **this**. His body may have been turned to ash...but this was **solid**.

* * *

**Chapter One – Indefinite Visitors**

"But what does Urahara-san want with_ us_?" She asked for what had to be the third or fourth time. The foursome had been debating the possibilities for well over an hour, but so far hadn't come up with any reasonable explanations.

Since the conclusion of the Winter War, the small group had seen neither hide nor hair of the eccentric scientist, his presence in the town becoming increasingly difficult to sense and his reiatsu often vanishing completely. It was obvious to the group that Urahara was on the move, and as the months and years drew on, they assumed that the exiled Shinigami had decided to lie low, using his travels to distance himself from the going ons of Soul Society. Now, however, as they made their way toward the infamous candy shop, Orihime could sense the cracks in their hypothesis.

She bit her lip softly as she glanced around at her three companions, catching the eye of Ishida who walked by her side. With his brows furrowed and mouth pressed in a straight line, he appeared to be just as perplexed as she was.

"I'm not sure." he finally replied, "It seems strange for him to contact us out of the blue like this. But then again...when has anything involving Urahara-san been normal?"

"You got that right." Ichigo grumbled, sliding a hand through his spiky orange hair. The anxiety was clear on his face and Orihime couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking of Rukia, hoping for news.

She looked away, her chest suddenly tight and stomach nauseous. She swallowed thickly before rising her eyes back to Ichigo. Rukia's absence was hard on all of them, she was their friend and they missed her greatly, but everyone could see that Ichigo had been effected in more ways than one.

Orihime frowned, her footsteps growing heavier. She had accepted long ago that her feelings for Ichigo were likely to remain unrequited, but that did not mean she would ever get used to the hurt. "Do you think it has something to do with Kuchiki-san?" She questioned flippantly, valiantly attempting to hide her fallen mood.

Ichigo bristled but said nothing, his brown eyes focused on the path before him.

"It could be, Inoue-san." Ishida conceded, his voice taking on a thoughtful tone, "but I can't help but think it is something else."

Orihime nodded, the chance that this was merely a catch-up session did seem a little far-fetched. Unless, of course, it was to share news of a more serious nature, but she didn't want to think about that right now.

The group fell silent as they approached their destination, and Sado stepped up beside Orihime to send her one of his reassuring smiles. She returned the gesture gratefully, the tension in her shoulders seemingly easing with the upturn of his lips. The tall man was always so in-tune with the emotions of others, that his presence itself was undeniably comforting- a gentle power all of his own. Orihime often wondered just how much he could tell from the expression on her face. Did he see the hope? The sadness? The jealousy?

Orihime shook her head, hoping to scramble her thoughts into something more positive. No such luck. Her attempt, sadly, only led her to thinking about this morning's breakfast and how much she wished she'd made her speciality scrambled eggs, instead of the boring old cereal she'd settled with. She firmly believed that if she'd been filled with a better breakfast, she wouldn't be in quite so lower spirits now.

_Ohh well, there's always tomorrow. _She silently reassured herself, as the door to the sweet shop slid open, and a boy with a head full of flaming red hair, stomped out.

"It's about time you guys got here!" he grouched, two hands firmly planted on his hips.

"Settle down, squirt!" Ichigo waved the boy off, stepping passed him to enter the shop. "We're here now, aren't we?"

Jinta scowled. "Yeah well...you haven't had to put up with, what I've had to put up with!"

Orihime's brows furrowed at that, but she smiled down at him anyway. "I'm sorry, Jinta-kun. We didn't know we were so late!"

"It's okay, I guess..." He mumbled bashfully, his anger dropping away and his gaze suddenly fixated on his feet.

Orihime giggled quietly, resting a placating hand upon the boy's shoulder, as she waited for Sado and Ishida to slip through the door. Jinta immediately shrugged her off -his face glowing a deep red- and darted off after them, leaving Orihime to silently follow.

Upon entering the living area of 'The Urahara Shop', it became clear to the newcomers that something was not right. The room itself- while never completely tidy- was in complete disarray, with random articles of clothing, bedding and empty food wrappers strewn across every possible surface. Amongst the mess, sat the owner himself, looking completely at ease within the ruin of his sitting room- tea cup clutched daintily in one hand and biscuit in the other.

"Ahhh, welcome!" he chirped flippantly, the hand holding the biscuit gesturing grandly to the various cushions slumped around the small coffee table. "Please, sit! Sit! We have much to discuss!"

The four visitors exchanged glances, before Sado took the initiative and sat down beside the eccentric Shinigami, the other three reluctantly following suit. Orihime watched, amused, as Ishida made a point of removing some of the filth from his own pillow before lowering himself onto it. The poor Quincy always was too clean for his own good.

"Jinta, I do believe you were...cleaning the bathroom?" Urahara did not look up at the boy lingering in the doorway, instead making a show of preparing the tea for his guests.

Jinta rolled his eyes, but knew better than to argue. "Yeah, yeah. I'm goin'."

Orihime smiled as he turned from the room, his shoulders hunched in a sulky manner. She couldn't help but wonder if the bathroom was in a similar state to the room they were in now, if so, he certainly had his work cut out for him. Maybe she'd lend him a hand when this meeting was over...She hated the idea of him slaving away all by himself, buried under mountains of garbage and other unmentionable things. Not to mention, battling against rats or worse yet, bugs! No, later she would make sure she found the time to help, but for now...

"First things first!" Urahara began, his hand reaching out to grasp the plate in front of him. "Cookies, anyone?"

Orihime politely declined, her eyes making a quick circle around the table as the others did much the same. She could see that Ichigo was already becoming impatient, his intense gaze firmly locked on their host as if to implore him to hurry up and begin, but Urahara for his part, seemed in no mood to rush.

The next few minutes were filled with awkward glances and tentative sipping. Ichigo, who had abandoned his own cup, had taken to drumming his fingers on the edge of the table, his eyebrow twitching with irritation.

Urahara smiled at the spiky-haired teen before turning to address the rest of the table. "So, I suppose you are all wondering why I have called you here..."

"Ya think?" Ichigo snapped, his brown eyes glaring daggers at his former teacher.

"Now, now, there's no need for hostility, all will be revealed in time..."

Ishida sighed, "With all due respect, Urahara-san, but I think we're all anxious to know what this is about."

Urahara drew a lazy smile as he brought his teacup to his lips, sipping casually before setting it down in front of him. "Very well," he conceded, his hand drifting up to rub at his chin. He appeared thoughtful for a moment, but it was unclear to Orihime whether it was just a farce to build suspense or if he was genuinely wondering how to begin. Probably the former, she decided.

"You see, to put things simply..." the scientist finally continued, "The end of the Winter War- more specifically, the destruction of the Hogyoku, has had some unexpected..._repercussions_."

Ichigo leant forward in his seat, his brown eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Repercussions?"

"Mmm, yes, I'm afraid so. Now, I assume that you've noticed my extended absences over the past three years?"

The group remained silent, but nodded their reply. _Yes, they had._

"Well..." Urahara explained, "This has been largely due to my recent investigations within the Hollow Realm- Hueco Mundo."

Orihime's eyes widened, and her heart sank to the pit of her stomach.

"_What is a heart? If I tear open your chest, would I find it there? If I crack open your skull.."_

She inhaled deeply and allowed her eyes to slip closed. She could feel their stares on her- knew what they were thinking. "I'm fine." she said firmly, looking bravely into their faces. She _was_ stronger now and she _would_ prove it to them "Please, go on, Urahara-san."

The green-clad Shinigami watched her for a moment, his lips pursed and eyes hard, calculating. Orihime found herself holding her breath, her body tense under his scrutiny, when finally, his features softened and he nodded his head."As you all know," he went on, "Aizen's manipulation of the Hogyoku brought about many changes within the more advanced Hollow...Almost an..." He twirled his hand airily, as he searched for the correct word. "E_volution_, of sorts..._" _

"With the Hogyoku being the centre of these changes, I had anticipated that its destruction would have an effect on the Arrancar- and of course, so had Soul Society." Urahara paused to dunk the edge of his cookie into his tea, a satisfied smile spreading to his lips as he watched the warm liquid soak into the biscuit. "But, with Soul Society being how it is, and in a state of post-war recuperation," He continued, offhandedly, "They were quite reluctant to undergo any thorough investigations in Hueco Mundo."

"So you took it upon yourself, Urahara-san?" Ishida supplied rationally.

Urahara smiled, "Naturally. However,my investigations, perhaps, were not as successful as I would have liked. The Arrancar..."

_This is it. _Orihime thought, _this is why we are here. _She felt her stomach give a sickening lurch, and suddenly, all she could do was stare. Stare at her hands, stare at the walls, stare at the ceiling...stare at anything that did not have two eyes, a nose and a mouth.

_I asked you if you're frightened._

Orihime clenched her fists in her lap. No. She wasn't going to do this.

_I'm not afraid. _

Setting her jaw, she refocused her eyes on Urahara, who seemed to be having some difficulty deciding how best to continue.

"With the loss of the Hogyoku's power, the Arrancar have..." he frowned slightly, as he lifted one hand to scratch at the back of his head. "Well, lets just say, they have..._reverted back_ to their..._simplest_ forms."

Orihime's brows knitted together. _Simplest forms?_

"Hollows?" She asked uncertainly.

Urahara shook his head, a small smile pulling at his lips._"Humans."_

"_Whaaat?" _Ichigo burst out, "You mean-"

"Yes."

"But, Urahara-san," Ishida spoke up, his voice losing some of its usual calm. "Arrancar are hybrids of Hollow and Shinigami, surely they-"

"No, Ishida-san. Whether they were Hollow or Shinigami in their afterlife, it makes no difference. They _began_ as Humans."

The group fell silent.

Orihime felt her resolve waning, and once again, her eyes flickered to her lap. _Humans, in Hueco Mundo..._ She could see their faces, imagine the destruction...

They may have been enemies once, but she would never have wished that torment on anyone.

_They regained their hearts, only to be..._

"So what now, Urhara-san."A deep voice finally spoke up, shattering the stillness of the room. Sado had always been so strong willed, ready to go ahead. Orihime admired him for that.

"Well, Sado-san, now we have to..._live_ with the changes." Urahara replied enigmatically. Ichigo opened his mouth to question him, but was silenced by the shinigami's raised hand. "As you can imagine, the possibility of Humans surviving in the Hollow Realm is exceptionally low, and I'm afraid, by the time I arrived, many of the former Arrancar had been all but wiped out..."

Orihime felt her throat close and her sight blur, her suspicions confirmed. She began to wonder, if things were as hopeless as they seemed, why Urahara had called them here at all. Surely, things were beyond their control.

Out of their reach.

Unconsciously, she brought her hand up to her chest, her fist squeezing into a protective ball before her heart.

Sensing their fallen moods, Urahara cleared his throat, drawing the attentions of his melancholy audience. He gave them a curious look- a twitch of the lip and an arch of the brow- before cupping his hands to his mouth. "Ururu!"

Orihime watched bemusedly, as the the living room door slid open to reveal the small dark haired girl._ Had she been waiting there the entire time? Surely not._

Ururu peeked her head in meekly, her gaze moving directly to Urahara. Their exchange was brief, and before anyone could mutter a greeting to the girl, she was darting out of the room once again. A loud clatter sounded outside the door, followed by feet slapping against the floorboards.

Orihime braced herself. _What on Earth was..._

The door burst open.

"Ichigo~!"

Ichigo's eyes widened, "Nel?"

The woman charged, arms flailing outwards as she launched herself at the spiky-haired man, capturing him in a rib crushing hug. Ichigo yelped painfully, his limbs jerking at random angles as he struggled in the embrace.

"Nel-san!" Orihime gasped, too shocked at the (former?) Arrancar's appearance, to recognise the tell tale signs of a man being smothered.

Ishida -to his credit- _did_ notice, and leant across the table to try and pry the voluptuous woman off of his friend. Orihime blinked slowly -snapping out of her trance- and quickly reached out to help, only to have her hand freeze -mid air- at the sound of a sardonic chuckle.

All eyes were instantly drawn to the doorway, and the air in the room suddenly grew thick and unbreathable.

_No way._

"What the fuck you lookin' at, Strawberry?"

* * *

**AN**

Thanks for reading, reviews are most appreciated!


	2. To See Your Mismatched Eyes

**A/N - **Thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited, or subscribed! I really appreciate it, they make me write faster, I tell you that!

Before we go on, I have to point out that this chapter is...kind of written in fragments. It is quite dream heavy and has a number of changes in scene. The rest of the story will not be like this. After this chapter the story will be more character orientated, and will focus on the building of relationships etc...as opposed to dreams/memories, and of course, things will lighten up!

Anyway, enjoy!

**Chapter two – To see your mismatched eyes**

**by, YourRedRightAnkle**

_Black._

_She could see nothing but black._

_The night air was heavy with dust and debris, paining her lungs with each attempt at breath. She was crawling, the stone scraping the skin from her knees and the grit beneath her hands chaffing against her palms._

_"Kurosaki-kun?" She wheezed desperately, her arms shaking as she dragged herself forward._

_"Ishida-san?" The strength she thought she had was draining from her being, sliding in wet trails down the planes of her cheeks._

_Why was she alone?_

_She didn't want to be alone._

_"Kurosaki-kun!" She cried now, falling to the ground as sobs wracked her body. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Kurosaki-kun! Please! I don't know what to-"_

_Suddenly, the moonlight engulfed her, highlighting the wide expanse of the dome._

_The dome..._

_She blinked blearily, and pushed herself from the ground. She could feel a sharp pain shoot through her hand- a hand which, she noticed, was strangely soot-blackened and grasping a familiar length of white bone. She looked at it curiously, her sobs steadily quieting. For the life of her, she could not remember picking it up. But, then again, she could not remember how she got here either, so she supposed it wasn't so unlikely._

_She sat back on her legs, her grey eyes staring down at the mask piece, weighing heavy in her hand. She couldn't comprehend the tingling the object caused in her fingertips, but she did know that her mind had never been clearer. She leant forward to place the bone upon the ground in front of her, wasting no time in summoning her powers. The warm orange shield sprung up around the fragment and immediately she felt her breath becoming laboured with the strain. Her eyes slipped closed as she concentrated, green reptilian eyes and sheet-white skin flashing through her mind like a fast-moving film reel. Her stomach clenched and her body began to sway. She could taste the ash in the air, feel it burning in her lungs._

_Her consciousness faded away and the black returned._

_"Stop, Onna."_

_Her grey eyes snapped open, and her mouth fell agape in a silent scream. He lay still beneath the orange glow, his eyes, not of the demon she'd last seen, but of the humanoid form she was most familiar with – Green and unnaturally glazed._

_Her chest convulsed._

_His arm severed – helm cracked – chest open – wheezing - drowning in blood._

"Orihime-chan! Breakfast!"

Orihime woke with a start, her body coated in sweat, and her breathing coming in sharp pants.

_Not again. _She thought, as she ran a hand over her face. How much longer could this go on?

It had already been four nights.

Four nights of seeing his eyes, hearing his voice...

She hadn't felt this weary in a long time.

Sighing softly, she flung her legs over the side of the bed, her shoulders hunching forward to cradle her head in her hands. She imagined she looked pretty pathetic right now, her hair mused and sticking to her forehead and cheeks. She had class today, which meant she really should have been getting ready...but she...

She just didn't understand!

Why couldn't she save him? Even in her dreams...why couldn't she stop the ash, the blood...Why could she never reach him? Because surely, that was what this was about. She never acted in time, and because of that...

Orihime swallowed thickly and pulled herself from the bed. Nel would certainly come looking for her if she delayed any longer, and the truth was, she really didn't have the time to dwell on this. Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, she snagged her robe from the back of the door and made her way out into the lounge room.

"Good morning, Nel-san." Orihime greeted, forcing a smile at the newest addition to her home.

The green-haired woman beamed widely, her hands wrapped around two glasses of breakfast juice. Orihime nodded in thanks when she handed one to her, the cool glass irritating the palm of her hand. Orihime frowned as she lowered herself down by the table.

"Is something wrong, Orihime-chan?" Nel looked at her curiously, her pretty face -now unmarred by her previous markings- scrunched up in concern.

Orihime poked at the omelette on her plate, her eyes locked on her hand.

"I just..." She looked up at the young woman before her, forcing a small smile to her lips, "I just...didn't sleep very well, that's all."

"Ohh no!" Nel exclaimed, her voice raising an octave,"You had another nightmare?"

"I-" Orihime went to object, but thought better of it. Nel was very perceptive, despite her childish nature. "Yeah...I just...I thought I was over all this, ya know?"

Nel nodded sympathetically, her face twisted into one of understanding. Orihime doubted she truly understood what she was referring to, but appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "So what do you have planned for today?" Orihime asked dismissively, now eyeing her room mate's attire.

Nel smiled as she took another bite of her omelette. "I have a history lesson with Urahara-san!" She explained cheerily, the egg in her mouth sloshing around with each word she spoke. "He says, that to fit in with human society, we should catch up on past events! I think it's a good idea, myself..." She paused briefly to fiddle with the hem of her -rather skimpy- school skirt. "but I...I don't really understand why I have to wear a uniform." She sighed, "I know, Urahara-san said it would benefit my learning experience...but if that's true, why doesn't he make Grimmjow wear one?"

Orihime laughed at the former-Arrancar's naivety. Orihime herself, had always been naïve, but Nelliel really took the cake. She supposed, a small part of her was still that little girl she met in Hueco Mundo. "Nel-san...I don't think-"

"Eeek!" Nel suddenly leapt from her seat, her eyes trained on the clock on the wall. "I'm going to be late!"

Orihime watched as she leant down to her breakfast plate, quickly shovelling three more mouthfuls in, before bounding towards the door. "I'm sorry, Orihime-chan! I will clean up after dinner tonight, I promise!"

"It's okay, really!" Orihime waved her off, her eyes alight with amusement.

"Do you have university today, Orihime-chan?" She asked politely as she flung her backpack over her shoulder -making her look even more like the high school student, she obviously wasn't.

"Yeah, I have a couple of classes this morning, but I'm going to see a movie with my friend Tatsuki-chan, so I may not be home until later this afternoon."

Nel nodded,"Okay, well...have a good day, Orihime-chan!"

Orihime laughed. "Have fun, Nel-san! See you tonight!"

The green-haired woman smiled and flounced out the door, leaving the apartment in a state of quiet once again. Orihime smiled as she continued eating her breakfast, deciding to take her time and savour it- her previous dreary thoughts pushed to the back of her mind.

It had been so long since Orihime had lived with anyone and she had to admit, she was enjoying having Nel as a room mate. She was lively and considerate, and even though they had only been sharing a home for the past four days, they had not yet met any difficulties in their situation.

The same, of course, could not be said for Ichigo, who had been given the daunting task of housing Grimmjow. A task which when delt, was met with quite a bit of resistance.

At the time, Orihime remembered feeling incredibly grateful for her femininity. After all, being entrusted with Nel was by far more pleasing than being placed with Grimmjow. Not that she didn't feel sorry for _Kurosaki-kun. _Because she did.

The two men clashed in every way possible (probably because they were so similar) so she could imagine the arguments that would ensue living in such close quarters. Then again, if they really were so alike, then it was entirely possible that Ichigo would find some good in Grimmjow...eventually.

Orihime laughed to herself as she finished off her breakfast, picturing the excessively brazen Grimmjow in a rather adorable teddy-bear outfit, asking Ichigo for a hug. She was pretty sure that Ichigo would take off running before actually accepting the embrace...but still, the scene would be amusing nonetheless.

Orihime made a mental note to talk to Grimmjow about letting her choose his costume for Halloween. It was months away, hopefully by then everything would have calmed down, settled in.

Orihime glanced down at her hand. Surely, by then...

* * *

They were doing it again.

Tingling.

In the most detracting way.

Orihime frowned as she flexed her fingertips, biology was difficult to focus on at the best of times, let alone when your writing hand insisted on being...strange. As a result, she had taken very few notes over the passed two hours and even though she knew that she would have to catch up on the work later, she was surprised to find she didn't really care.

And _that _was unnerving.

Because Orihime was completely, if not ridiculously, dedicated to her education. In fact, ever since making the decision to go into nursing, her previous life was almost entirely left behind- suddenly, less about Hollows and Shinigami, and more about university and study.

She'd come so far, and yet...now, she felt she was right back there.

She slid a hand into her hair, missing the weight of her hair clips that now lay locked away in her drawer, wrapped in a handkerchief, along with the unmistakable, white bone fragment, she could never bring herself to look at.

She didn't try to revive him.

For some reason, she'd never believed it to be the right time. The end of the winter war was hard on everybody, with Ichigo's temporary loss of his powers, Rukia's return to Soul Society, and the eventual prosecution of Aizen, she thought it would be unfair to add another factor to everyone's stress. For even if she _didn't_ succeed in bringing back her Arrancar ex-captor, her friends would still have to deal with _her_ -with her disappointment, confusion, devastation- because knowing he was gone for good was sure to throw her more than a little off balance.

Orihime winced slightly, as a more intense pain pulsed through her fingers. When the sensation had started days ago, she assumed it was just one of those things, but now, with the dreams coming more frequently, it was obvious that there was more to it. The only problem was, she couldn't be sure if the pain were real, or just another illusion conjured up by her over-active imagination.

_I should see a therapist_, she thought flippantly.

Then again...explaining that she'd been having reoccurring dreams of reviving her once-captor, with wings and a hole in his chest and the psychological pain, currently manifesting itself in her hand, pulsing and tingling her fingertips like a weird sort of homage to the ash that once danced around them (the longing to reach the one she didn't save?) could be a little...odd, to say the least.

Yeah, what a fruit cake.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Orihime looked up at the young brunette girl who had been seated beside her. She smiled warmly, indicating that the lecture was over and that most of the class had already filed out.

Orihime blushed. "Thank you."

The girl merely smiled and moved toward the exit, leaving Orihime to gather up her things and do the same. Dipping a hand into the pocket of her jeans, Orihime fished out her mobile phone, flipping it open to check her messages. Tatsuki said she would text her to let her know where they would meet. Being an engineering student, Tatsuki's classes were over the other side of campus, making it difficult for the two of them to see each other between lectures. Today, however, they both finished early and had made plans to catch a movie. Orihime, to be frank, was quite happy for the distraction.

_Meet u at the car park, your end – Tatsuki_

Orihime smiled, incredibly thankful that she did not have to walk to the other side of campus, God knows she was too tired for that today. Tatsuki must have finished class early and decided to make things easier for her. She really did love that girl sometimes.

Tucking her phone back into her pocket, Orihime shuffled off towards their meeting place, her troublesome hand gripping the strap of her satchel bag. The car park was relatively close and before long she could see lithe outline of her best friend leaning up against her old blue sedan.

"Tatsuki-chan!"

The dark-haired girl smiled and waved Orihime over to the car. "Come on, there's a session at four o'clock, we can make it if we hurry!"

Nodding quickly, Orihime jogged over to the sedan and slid into the passenger seat. "So what are we seeing?"

Tatsuki shrugged as she fiddled with her keys, "Ahh, I don't remember the name." she said airily, "It's some action one, should be alright."

Orihime laughed. "Sounds good!" It was so like Tatsuki to be rushing them off to see a film she didn't know the name of. It seemed, so long as there were explosions and an outrageous plot, it was alright by her. Orihime supposed, it was ok in her books too, just so long as her best friend was happy.

"So have you spoken to Ichigo lately?" Tatsuki asked casually, pulling out of the car park and onto the street.

Orihime pursed her lips, "Umm...I saw him on Tuesday. He's..." She thought back to the last time she saw him- the strain on his face and the stress in his voice. "He's doing as well as can be expected?"

"Ahh." Tatsuki laughed knowingly, "So, in other words, he's stomping around like my menopausal mother on shopping day."

"Tatsuki-chan, that's not nice!" Orihime fought back a smile. "You're mum's not that bad."

"Yeah...Ichigo would be much worse." She added smartly, now scowling at a P-plate driver who just cut in front of her. Orihime automatically held on to the armrest, knowing what would come next.

"I can't believe he got stuck with Grimmjow!" Tatsuki continued, her dark eyes scanning for the opportunity to overtake. "Surely that guy needs to be locked up somewhere, not...I dunno, hanging with the enemies!"

Orihime frowned, becoming uncomfortable with both her friend's driving and the turn the conversation was taking. It's true, she had her reservations about Grimmjow, but he was human now. Surely that was enough to give him a new lease on life, soften him around the edges a little?

Everyone deserves a second chance.

_Everyone._

Orihime's head snapped up at the sound of Tatsuki's horn, the dark-haired girl's mouth set in a wide grin as she swerved in front of the P-plater. Orihime's heart shuddered in her chest. She'd known Tatsuki for a very long time, long enough to know that her competitive streak would always prevail, whether it be on the soccer field, or in the dojo...or in the car. So, despite her...anxiety, Orihime knew better than to comment. Instead, she turned her gaze to the window and subtly tightened her grip on the armrest.

It was a beautiful day by anyone's standards, and Orihime was somewhat angry with herself for not appreciating it to the fullest. Usually on days like this she'd make the trip to the beach, or prepare a picnic in the park. Not to say she wasn't enjoying her time with Tatsuki, but she knew that if the dark-haired girl had not put together these plans, Orihime would have happily locked herself away in her apartment, alone with the television and her thoughts.

"So," Tatsuki spoke up, the car now stopping before a red light. "You going to tell me what's eating you, or am I going to have to guess?"

Orihime cringed, her grey eyes moving from the scenery to her best friend. Was she really so transparent? "I'm fine, really!"

Tatsuki's eyes cornered over to her briefly, her hands smoothing over the steering-wheel as she began to accelerate once again. "Orihime..."

"I just...haven't been sleeping, that's all." Orihime turned back to the window, attempting to school her features into something akin to contentment.

Tatsuki sighed. "I can see that, but why?"

Orihime frowned. Tatsuki wouldn't give up on this, not until she got an explanation.

Her hands fidgeted in her lap, a part of her really did want her to know the truth- not the petty half-truths she rattled off after the conclusion of the Winter war, but the _whole_ truth- of Ulquiorra and Las Noches, of her dreams, and the mask fragment..._everything_, but how could she begin to explain something that confused her so much?

"Is it Nel-san?"

Orihime looked at Tatsuki with surprise, her mouth gaping open. "Nel-san? No! No...well," She fumbled for a moment. Though she liked having Nel with her, she couldn't honestly say that her and Grimmjow's reappearance wasn't unsettling. The fact was, they were faces from a past she wanted to leave behind, and though she was genuinely happy they were given this chance at a human existence, she was tormented by the fact that other's didn't...

_He didn't. _

Her mind reeled back to her dreams- red blood staining white skin- and subconsciously she began squeezing her fingers, the ache there resurfacing. "No, it's not Nel-san." she finally admitted, "I've been having nightmares."

"Sora-san?" Tatsuki inquired tentatively.

Orihime shook her head. "Hueco Mundo."

Tatsuki's jaw clenched, and for a moment Orihime regretted saying anything. Tatsuki never truly got over her capture, probably believing she'd failed Orihime in some way. She continually assured her that that wasn't the case- that it was her own doing, but she knew she would never quite accept it. "I think...I think I was meant to save someone, Tatsuki-chan."

A thick silence fell between them as they pulled into the theatre car park, Tatsuki quickly manoeuvring them into a slot before shutting off the engine. Slowly she turned to face her best friend, her expression flat and unreadable. "Why do you think that, Orihime?"

Orihime's stomach twisted, and suddenly she couldn't bring herself to look at her any more. She stared out the windshield, her eyes locked on the brick wall of the movie theatre. She couldn't tell her. "I don't know. I'm always trying to reach...trying to save him in my dreams."

Tatsuki frowned, "Dreams can be strange when you've been put under a lot of stress. Just because you've had these dreams more than once doesn't mean they are trying to tell you something...but, I don't know." She ran a weary hand over her face. "You have good intuition, Orihime. You'll do what's best. Just...promise me you'll think things through, what ever you decide."

Orihime looked over at her friend, warmth filling her chest, she was always the voice of reason, her most beloved rock. "I promise, I will be careful."

"Alright then." Tatsuki smiled, "Now! We better get going, or we'll miss this movie!"

* * *

_The wind whipped around her, sending dust and debris swirling up into her eyes. She blinked painfully, lowering her body closer to the ground, her elbows resting on the cool stone beneath her. She struggled to turn around, the force of the air weighing heavy on her body. She needed to look up. She sensed, she needed to look up. Raising a hand to shield her face, she squinted at the black sky._

_He was close, closer than she'd expected. The beat of his leather-like wings pushing the air down upon her in terrifying gusts. Her heart thundered in her chest and a strange feeling twisted in her stomach- relief at seeing him there, alive and in one piece. At once, she dragged herself to her feet, stumbling forward, toward him, one hand reaching out._

_"Ulqui-"_

_His eyes bore into her with an anger she couldn't comprehend, and she lost her voice. Her feet stopped and her whole body tensed. She watched as his face contorted and his wings began to beat more erratically, struggling to remain in the air._

_He was going to fall._

He's going to...

_She was running, the orange glow of her Santen Kesshun automatically reaching out to catch the falling Arrancar._

_"Ulquiorra-san, what-" Her eyes widened as she dropped to her knees before him, blood now spilling from the hole in his chest. She watched, white faced, as he raised a hand to cover his hollow hole, rivulets of red dribbling through his fingers._

_Her shield surrounded him, the sudden heat of her powers causing Ulquiorra to look up, his black and gold eyes startlingly intense. "Stop, Onna."_

_"But, it's work-"_

_"Stop, Onna!"_

_"I don't-"_

A sudden 'explosion' caused Orihime's eyes to snap open, and once again she was in the movie theatre, the chaos of the film and the crunching of popcorn ringing in her ears. Settling back in her chair, Orihime turned her eyes to Tatsuki, who was thankfully, still enraptured by the action in front of her, probably oblivious to the fact that her friend had slept through the majority of the film.

Orihime frowned as she wrapped her hand around the bottle of coke that was resting in the cup-holder beside her, the chilled plastic helping to drown out the tingling of her fingertips. She hated feeling like this, so confused and...useless.

She thought...

She thought these dreams were telling her to act, that now was the time to try...but then, why was he telling her to stop? Did he not want to be saved? Or was it that subconsciously, _she_ didn't want to save him. Maybe she created these scenarios to make herself feel better about leaving the dome without making an attempt. Maybe she was trying to convince herself he didn't want to be restored.

Orihime winced. _That can't be right._

She always believed Ulquiorra deserved a second chance, now and back at the dome...so surely, if these dreams really did mean something, the only reasonable explanation was that Ulquiorra was telling her _not _to bring him back.

Biting her lip, Orihime brought her gaze back to the movie screen. Why was it that a rather large part of her being wanted nothing more than to go against his wishes?

* * *

"Thanks for the movie, Tatsuki-chan!"

Tatsuki smiled. The movie had gone on much longer than either of them had anticipated, and both girls were quite eager to get home. Orihime for one, had quite a bit of study to catch up on, and she was sure Tatsuki did too, despite her carefree dismissal of the subject on the drive home.

"No worries, Orihime. Just...get a good night's sleep, okay?"

Orihime nodded as she closed the door to the sedan, "I will, Tatsuki-chan! I'll see you soon!"

"And you'll call me if you need me, right?"

Orihime laughed, "Yeah, yeah. I'll call you!"

Tatsuki sent her a stern look that clearly read 'you better', before relinquishing, and starting up the car once more.

Orihime smiled as she turned and made her way up to her apartment, stopping briefly to send one last wave back at the car, to which she was rewarded with a few hearty beeps from the horn, as Tatsuki drove away.

"I'm home, Nel-san!" She called warmly as she closed the door softly behind her.

The green-haired woman smiled at her, from her place behind the stove. "How was the movie?"

Orihime snorted, "Tatsuki-chan seemed to like it."she replied cryptically, shrugging off her bag and moving to join Nel in the kitchen. "I slept through most of it."

Nel turned to her with a bemused expression. "That bad, huh?"

Orihime shrugged, "Just that tired."

Nel nodded as she manoeuvred the wok, flipping the meat a few times before turning back to Orihime. "Maybe you should see a doctor, Hime-chan?"

Orihime sighed softly, reaching over to toss the pre-prepared vegetables into the wok. She had been thinking along the same lines all day. Maybe they could prescribe something to help her sleep. Without the dreams, there is a good chance that the pain in her hand -whether physical or imaginary- would go away, and even if it didn't...well, she would at least have a more functional mind to work with.

"Maybe." She replied softly, her eyes lingering on the stove top.

Nel watched as Orihime chewed on her bottom lip, obviously lost in her own thoughts. She knew that the past few days must have been difficult for the orange-haired girl, even if she did continue to put on a brave face. "So...Ichigo came to visit today!"

Orihime's brows rose at the rather blatant change in topic, "He did?"

Nel grinned, her cheeks taking on a pinkish hue- one that Orihime was all too familiar with. "He said he came to talk to Urahara-san, but I think he was just checking up on us."

Orihime laughed, she could imagine Ichigo had a whole lot he wanted to talk about. In fact, she was surprised he hadn't done so sooner...than again, maybe he had. "How _was_ your lesson today?" she asked, as a after thought.

"Ohh, it was...good." Nel began uncertainly, adjusting the temperature of the stove. "Urahara-san told us about the World Wars...Your world has had some hard times too, hasn't it, Orihime-chan?"

Orihime frowned, but nodded her head. "More than we'd care to acknowledge, I'm afraid."

Nel appeared thoughtful as she began serving the stir-fry into two bowls, her finely shaped brow furrowed slightly and her mouth twisted to one side. Orihime found herself somewhat amused by the expression despite the seriousness of the conversation.

"I thought the lesson to be interesting, Orihime-chan, but..." Nel turned to her with a look of remorse. "I thought I'd left these things in Hueco Mundo."

Orihime sighed, now sifting through one of the drawers in search of chopsticks, the tingling in her fingertips choosing that time to shift into something more of a dull throb, as if to remind her exactly what _she'd_ left in Hueco Mundo.

"I don't think Grimmjow liked the lesson much."

Orihime looked up at that, one brow raised in budding interest.

Nel slipped a hand up into her hair, before casting confused eyes on Orihime. "He seemed much more interested in throwing paper at the back of my head."

Orihime laughed, a hand leaping up to cover her mouth. Thoughts of children in a playground coming to mind.

Nel pouted. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, Nel-san!" Orihime attempted to stifle her giggles, failing miserably when Nel's bottom lip jutted out even further.

Nel glared at her, thrusting a bowl into Orihime's hands as she walked passed her and into the lounge room. Orihime smiled, grabbing the chopsticks off the counter and following after her sulking room-mate.

Forgoing formality, the two sat on the lounge in front of the television, with their bowls perched upon their laps and a mediocre soap playing in the background. Nel chewed away silently, her recent upset melting off her face as if it never existed in the first place. Orihime only wished food would melt away her own worries as it did for Nel.

"So how was Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked curiously, going back to their earlier conversation.

Nel tapped her chopsticks to her lips. "Ohh he was wonderful, as always." she began wistfully. "We had lunch together, you know. Well...I had lunch, he just sat there and glared at Urahara-san, but we _were_ together!"

Orihime nodded, becoming distracted by the sudden surge in her fingertips. She couldn't seem to hold her chopsticks. Was it getting worse? Orihime swallowed thickly and, not wanting to worry Nel, forced a smile to her lips, "He and Grimmjow-san, still not getting along?"

Nel's eyes narrowed. "I guess not."

The change in tone was clear, and Orihime felt her blood run cold. "Ohh well, I'm sure they'll warm up to each other eventually!"

"Maybe..." Nel agreed slowly, her voice heavy with concern. "Orihime-chan-"

"You know," Orihime exclaimed, springing from the lounge in an unbelievably cheerful rush. "I'm really not that hungry, I think I'm just going to go to be-ack-"

The bowl hit the floor with a loud clatter, sending food splattering across the carpet. She cried out, her fingertips seizing up in pain.

"Orihime-chan, what's wrong?"

Orihime shook her head in wide-eyed confusion, the beginnings of tears filling her eyes. Her fingers pulsed again, and she gasped weakly. "I don't..."

She felt Nel's hands on her shoulders, gently coaxing her back to the lounge. The pain was slowly subsiding, but she couldn't bring herself to be relieved. She grasped at Nel's shoulders, standing up straighter, her storm grey eyes darting up to meet hers. "Nel-san, something's-"

Orihime felt Nel's hands tighten around her shoulders, and suddenly she couldn't breathe. They stared at each other, eyes filled with disbelief.

"That's..." Nel began.

Orihime nodded.

"But it's-"

Orihime swallowed. "I know."

* * *

The reiatsu was familiar- strange and static- but familiar. She was running, her bare feet slapping against the rough tar of the road. She could sense Ichigo nearby, but even with his superior speed, she knew she would get there first- just the end of the block, in the park.

She could hear Nel a short distance behind her, her stride more even, and controlled than her own, but she'd sensed it too. Even with her limited spiritual pressure, she'd recognised the reiatsu, felt the dark, unnatural pulses.

Orihime's couldn't think. She didn't want to make assumptions, but the physical pull was stronger than anything she'd ever felt before and for some reason, that was enough. Her legs moved faster, her feet slipping on the grass as she cut across the footpath and into the park. Her question seemingly answered, even before she stumbled into the clearing.

The park appeared to be empty, the usual cheer of the play equipment now swallowed by the darkness of the night. Orihime shivered, the breeze picking up and biting her arms. She could only just make out the edges of the park where the light from the street lamps faintly touched, leaving the majority of the area shrouded in black.

Frowning deeply, Orihime spun around in search of Nel, her eyes meeting nothing but the darkened shadows of the trees. She couldn't be far behind. She was with her almost the entire way. Orihime turned back to the park, eyes darting around for any sign of movement. She could feel him, knew he was here but-

"Onna..."

Orihime jumped, her head jerking towards a small grouping of trees to her left.

"Ulquiorra-san?" She asked timidly, her voice sounding loud to her ears. She attempted to make out the shape of him, absently walking forward to get a better view. She stopped when something landed on the ground before her, a soft thud amongst the quiet. Orihime frowned, bending down to search the grass, her hand coming into contact with two very familiar objects. Her heart leapt in her chest, dread and confusion sucking the breath from her lungs. Standing slowly, her eyes searched for the source. _My hairclips...how-_

Air whipped passed her face, and suddenly he was before her.

Arm severed, chest bloodied and skin a sickly grey.

Orihime's mind spun with memories of her dreams, but all she could see were his mismatched eyes.

_Mismatched eyes._

"Onna, you will fix this."

* * *

**A/N **Second chapter done! so Ulqui's back...and I think he may be a little cranky. Oh well, at least he's back, right? Now the real story starts!

Reviews are greatly appreciated! They make my little fingers write faster!


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